Molecular imprinting is a technique that allows for the production of molecule specific receptors that are analogous to biological receptor binding sites without the cost or environmental sensitivity of the natural systems (Shea (1994) Trends Polym. Sci. 2:166; Wulff (1995) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 34:1812; Mosbach & Ramstrom (1996) Biotechnology 14:163; BelBruno (2009) Micro and Nanosystems 1:163). Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) may be based on either covalent or non-covalent binding between the host polymer and the target or template molecule. Various MIP-based devices have been suggested for use in the detection of surface-binding molecules, inorganic compounds, organic compounds, polymers, biological molecules, nanoparticles, viruses, and biological arrays (WO 2008/063204 and US 2009/0115605).
Nicotine is a characteristic component of tobacco smoke and cotinine is a major metabolite of nicotine that is detected in the urine of smokers. Other reports of nicotine MIPs have appeared in the literature. For example, nicotine-targeted MIPs based on the synthesis of the polymer from methacrylic acid monomers have been reported (Sambe, et al. (2006) J. Chromatog. A 1134:88; Thoelen et al. (2008) Biosensors and Bioelectronics 23:913-918). However, poly(methylacrylic acid) exhibits solvent incompatibility with nicotine, thereby making the production of thin films challenging.